French H-75A-4 aircraft

[Alex Smart]

Hello Oliver,

I am Red Faced .....must learn to count .

I checked what I have and it is -

AR630-634 - (5) Ex Norwegian
AR635-694 - (60)
AX799 - (1)
AX880-898 - (19)
BB918-923 - (6)
BB925-937 - (13)
BB974-979 - (6)
BJ434-453 - (20)
BJ531-550 - (20)
BK569-588 - (20)
BK876-879 - (4)
BL220-223 - (4)
BS730-738 - (9)
BS744-747 - (4)
BS784-798 - (15)
BT470-472 - (3)
HK823 - (1)
LA157-165 - (9) Ex Iran

Total = 219

my number is still not the same as yours,

Where do we differ ? in which serial block ? I cannot see it ?

Alex

[takata_1940]

Hello Alex,

BB924 (1) ? (not listed in Air Britain listing but listed in Air Britain Lend lease)

and...
HK823 is not from the French contract.
may be an ex-French, escaped from AOF (Sgt Milan)
delivered to FAFL.
AOF = Afrique Orientale Française
FAFL = Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres

In fact, my list is one wrong and yours without BB924 seems ok :
219 total
less 5 Norway
less 9 Persia
less 1 unknow
Total = 204 (which is the number found in British and French archives)

I still have to verify all this in PRO if I can find the individual file for each aircraft.

Regards,
Olivier Bacca.

[Alex Smart]

Hi Oliver,

I wondered about the BB924 , Have both books so yes in one not in other.

HK823 is noted as 71 OTU (so i think Egypt) collided with Tomahawk AN317 and crashed 13.12.41.

So that might not be one from the UK. Other types were forwarded to the Middle East from here so it just might be the one.

The number "10" is that 12807 - X809 or 13815 ?
I think that some that were Indian built were not given RAF serials but did see RAF or IAF service while others (only a few) were passed on to China.

Great photographs Steven has shown to us here. Thank you Steven

And Thank you Oliver for your help.

I wish that I could get to the PRO as easy as you guy's seem to be able to do all the time, there are lots of things that I would like to look into but apart from getting there there is the cost of the Hotel stay and PRO charges too. Ah well I dream on. I did at one time want to look at the POW's lists from Italy but the cost was over £100, that is without the postage to me. So I forgot that search.

Good night,
Alex

[takata_1940]

Originally Posted by Alex Smart

Hi Oliver,
The number "10" is that 12807 - X809 or 13815 ?

The number "10" is supposed to be 13815, an A-4, then a Mohawk IV, missing from Bourges re-assembly factory (where the color picture above as been taken after the German capture at the end of June 1940)

Beside, I recounted my list and it's seems right : 204 including BB924.

You are welcome Alex,
Olivier.

[Alex Smart]

Hello Oliver,

Thank you once again for your help.

have a Great Day

Alex

[BlackWolf3945]

For those interested in more images showing the restored Hawk, take a looksee at this page on my site...


Fade to Black...

[Modeldad]

Based on the information provided here, such a shame that that aircraft has been "mis-reported" for so long and restored to "What-if' condition. Still a beautiful piece of work.

Or, is that data plate correct after all?

On the other hand, is that a real plate? Or a reproduction?

(I cannot remember seeing a piture of a Hawk 75 with a visable data plate)



See link below for more info.

HAWK 75 TO FLY AGAIN
Air Classics, Jul 2004

The Fighter Collection brings a nearly extinct aircraft back to life

Visitors to the USAF Museum can sec a restored Curtiss P-36A on display and, if you want to go a bit farther, there is a fixed gear H-75N Hawk on display in Bangkok, Thailand. However, in one of the most exciting restoration projects of this decade, a Curtiss H-75 Hawk is in the final stages of restoration to flying condition. This project will give the public a chance to see one of the most important early war fighters back in the air.

France was the best customer for the export version of the Air Corps' P-36 and an initial order for 100 aircraft was in France by May 1939. In service, the aircraft were numbered 1 to 100 and were issued to four Groupes de Chasse comprising I/4, II/4, I/5, and II/5. Hawk No. 82, the subject of the restoration, went to CG II/5 at Reims and was stationed at Toul during the Battle of France where the Hawks gave a good account of themselves against the Nazi invaders.

Surviving Curtiss fighters were ordered to withdraw to Algeria before the surrender of France and the remaining Curtiss fighter groups made the journey to Oran between 18 and 20 June 1940. France surrendered on 25 June. In Algeria, the armed forces came under control of the French Vichy Government which, in turn, was under the control of the Nazis.
Advertisement

The Hawks once again saw considerable action - fighting the British and then the Americans during Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. During this battle, 15 Hawks and eight French pilots were lost while at least seven US Navy Wildcats were destroyed. No. 82 participated in this turning point battle.

Surviving the war, No. 82 - along with 22 other Hawks - became an advanced trainer from 1946 to 1949 with the 4th Training Squadron at Cazaux in western France. Dropped from further use, the airframe was saved by Michel Pont who stored the plane until it was purchased by The Fighter Collection during the 1980s. With so many other projects, No. 82 was kept in storage until just recently.

The wing was shipped to New Zealand for restoration while the fuselage, tail, engine and prop, engine mount, and internal systems went to the US for restoration under the direction of Matt Nightingale. The completed wing arrived in the US during April and Matt and his dedicated team of restorers are doing a magnificent job : on what has to be one of the world's most unusual combat veterans - a fighter that fought for both sides during WWII. We will be featuring a detailed story on this machine in the near future.

Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Jul 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved






http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/hawk75st_1.htm



Blake Pickering’s photos of the Curtiss Hawk 75A-1 at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino prompted me to dig out some photos I shot of the same aircraft back in November 2004 when I was in Los Angeles on a business trip.
The aircraft’s cowl was removed when I saw it, allowing me to get some some photos of the Pratt & Whitney R1830-SC-G and accessory area behind the engine. I also took a photo of the aircraft’s data plate. It reads:

TYPE H75A1
NO DE SERIE 82
NO FABRICATION 12881
(manufactured) 4 39

Details of the rivets and panel lines on the aircraft are also noteworthy on this immaculately restored aircraft.

As Blake said, this plane is one of the stars of the Planes of Fame’s large collection.
Delivered in April 1939 as one of 100 Hawk75A-1s ordered by the French, this aircraft, a genuine Armée de l'Aire combat veteran, was assigned to GC II/5 at Reims and fought in the Phoney War and the Battle of France before heading to Oran, Algeria, where it saw action against British and American forces.
Postwar, the aircraft was on the strength of the 4th Training Squadron in Cazaux, France from 1946 to 1949, then sat in a field until The Fighter Collection acquired it and eventually restored it for the Planes of Fame Museum.